[Postoperative therapy using human atrial natriuretic peptide in cases of valve replacement].

The effect of hANP (atrial natriuretic peptide) was investigated clinically in 40 patients who underwent isolated valve replacement. Patients were divided into four groups: aortic regurgitation (AR), aortic stenosis (AS), mitral regurgitation (MR) and mitral stenosis (MS). Each group was divided into two subgroups: one was administered hANP after the operation until leaving ICU, and the other was not administered hANP. We measured the levels of hANP and c-GMP and blood pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, central venous pressure and levels of Na, K of urine and blood prcoperatively, immediately postoperatively and 1, 2, 4, 6 hours after operation. First, to examine the relationship between preoperative level of hANP and cardiac function, the relationship between preoperative level of hANP and history of cardiac failure and pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) were evaluated. Also, we evaluated the relationship between preoperative level of hANP and each dimension on echocardiography. There was a weak statistical relationship between hANP and PAWP (row = 0.39 (p = 0.04) Pearson correlation method) and there was no statistical relationship between hANP and duration of cardiac failure (row = 0.00445 (p = 0.98) Pearson correlation method). Preoperatively Left atrial diameter (LAD) showed a statistical relationship with level of hANP in every group using Spearman correlation method. Other dimensions such as left ventricular diastolic diameter (LVDd) and left ventricular systolic diameter (LVDs) and also fractional shortening (FS) did not show a strong correlation with preoperative level of hANP. Especially, in AS group there was a strong relationship between every dimension and preoperative level of hANP. Only in MS group LAD and the level of hANP were negatively related. This finding suggests that atrial dilatation results in reduction of secretion of hANP in cases of MS on long term follow up. Finally, hNAP therapy was shown to have a continuous diuretic effect, with stable hemodynamics.